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Loma man dies in crash near Salida

SALIDA — A Loma man is dead after the driver of a sport utility vehicle he was riding in lost control of the vehicle and plunged into the Arkansas River.

The Colorado State Patrol said 23-year-old Derek Lemay was a passenger in a 1983 Toyota Land Cruiser that spun out of control on U.S. Highway 50 at about 10 a.m. Monday. The SUV hit a tree and went down an embankment and into the river about 3 miles east of Salida.

Authorities say Lemay was wearing a seat belt but sustained fatal injuries. The driver, 21-year-old Camilo Brando De Sousa of Salida, was taken to a Salida hospital with minor injuries.

Troopers say intoxication is not suspected as a factor in the accident.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Friends of Lemay have left posts on his MySpace page telling him he was an amazing person and thanking him for all the fun times they had.